VOICE OF THE PEOPLE

(Letters)

July 20, 2007

A precious gift

By placing the recent story of how British Petroleum is getting a pass on restrictions on dumping in Lake Michigan from the State of Indiana on the front page, the Chicago Tribune has done a great public service.

I hope everyone will be outraged at the idea of BP spewing additional toxic waste into our beloved lake on a daily basis.

Everyone who lives in the vast areas touched by this great lake knows what a precious gift it is.

How cynical of that company to excuse this assault by noting that it will create 80 jobs.

Just think about it:

Eighty jobs for permission to spoil the water for many millions of people, as well as the wildlife to be affected.

It's appallingly shortsighted of the State of Indiana to consider doing this.

I hope people in the Great Lakes region will be moved to take action.

Rosemary Mihelic

Morton Grove

Sell it instead

So BP will be dumping more ammonia into Lake Michigan, with the blessing of the Indiana state government.

The strange part about this is that ammonia is a useful chemical for which there is great demand in the modern world.

Along with many industrial applications, ammonia is used to manufacture farming fertilizers.

Instead of dumping its waste ammonia into Lake Michigan, where it will be a harmful pollutant, BP ought to sell it and make a profit.

Gregory Bungo

Elmhurst

Blame Indiana

Where is the anger by Illinois toward Indiana's allowing BP (which falsely claims how green it is in advertising) to dump more chemicals in our Lake Michigan?